Monday, 30 April 2012

As part of my mini haul of China Glaze products from US eBay, I picked up Flip Flop Fantasy, initially released as part of the Poolside Collection in 2010.

Neon accents
are very on trend at the moment and although I have yet to embrace the
trend fully in my clothing, I can totally get on board with neon nails!

The colour in the bottle is seeringly bright and I am happy to announce that it remains suitably dazling when swatched and used on the nails.

The finish is
semi-matte, as is common with many neons andI tend to use a top coat
with it as I prefer the shiny, glossy look. I did however find that it
applied very streakily to the nails and it required three coats before
it started to even out. It was also quite liquid and difficult to control on the
nail, although I have found this is common with other China Glaze
polishes.

With Flash

In terms of wear time, it was only a couple of days before it began to chip, and when it chipped it flaked off in large chunks - there was no trying to cover it up with crackle polish like I normally do when I encounter short wear times!

Without Flash

Verdict

The colour is gorgous, both in the bottle and on the nail. However the issues with application and the short wear time meant it was just too much hard work for me. I will be saving it for specific nights out and for when I am craving statement nails!

Saturday, 28 April 2012

While we are waiting
for the warm weather to reappear and for it FINALLY to stop raining (!), I’ve
been looking for lip products which will care for my lips whilst giving a hint of colour and I've recently gone back to and old favourite.

Last year, I fell in
love with the easy-to-wear formulation of the Carmex Moisture Plus Sheer Lip Shines, as they
provided the perfect mix of a hint of colour combined with an excellent
moisture-quenching formula. They were a staple of my holiday makeup last year,
being easy to just slick on and go, so when I discovered a couple of additional
shades were available in the US, I was determined to make them mine!

Sheer Berry is exactly
as it sounds, a sheer, moisturising colour with a hint of red. Like the other Lip Shines available in the UK
which I reviewed here, this doesn’t impart an awful lot of colour on the lips, so if you are after an opaque look, this would not be for you. What it is useful for is providing a hint of
colour, making for a more informal look, perfect for lazy days or casual
weekends.

The swatch looks very shiny, and on the lips, it maintains the same glossy formula. Due to this formula, it doesn’t stick
around for long – one and a half hours tops – meaning you do need to reapply
often. For me, this isn’t a big issue
though, as it is so easy to apply by just whipping out the tube and slicking it on.

Not sure why my watermark came out so large here!

I have to mention a
couple of things about packaging and availability of this product in the UK. I contacted Carmex when I found out
these shades had been released, and enquired as to when they would be launched in the UK. They responded by saying that they currently had no plans to release them in
Europe (although I’m sure I have seen them on some Irish blogs). A search on eBay should be able to locate
them, and even with postage, they are still very reasonably priced.

Verdict

As the Moisture Plus range contained some of my staple
products last year, I was always going to love this new shade and it didn’t
disappoint. Although there are so many
balm / lipstick hybrids being launched at the moment, this is the only one I
have tried to date which genuinely has moisturising properties and also includes
a SPF. I feel this product would suit
those who are shy about wearing brighter lip colours and want to dip their toe
(or lips!) in the water. It would also
suit those who tend to have a signature style of bright or red lips, but who
want to try something lighter and fresher for Summer. I would certainly recommend this product, or
indeed any of the other Moisture Plus Sheer Lip Shines, and I would urge you to put this on
your shopping list if you are heading over to the US this Summer.

Thursday, 26 April 2012

Now before I start, I want
to say that you purchase products from eBay at your own risk and that if
it sounds too good to be true it probably is. That Mac blush you are
getting for half price brand new many not be authentic....

But how do you make the
most of eBay when purchasing beauty products? Well, I primarily use it
for purchasing products that are not available in the UK or are much
cheaper in other countries.

Nail products are the
obvious hot purchases with brands such as OPI and China Glaze less than
half the UK retail price on US eBay, and they are still a very good deal even when
postage is factored in. Two sellers I have has particularly good service
from are beautyzone2007and enchantedbeautyspot who, between then, sell all the major US polish brands. Delivery
usually takes just over a week.

In addition to nail
polish, I've also bought some products that are not available at all in
the UK, such as two versions of the Carmex Moisture Plus Sheer Lip Tints in Berry and Plum. I adore the peach and pink ones we have here in the UK, but after contacting Carmex and discovering they currently have no plans to sell the Berry and Plum ones here,
I knew I had to track them down, and eBay was my friend!

Other useful sellers are French Pharmacy UK- for difficult to find French pharmacy skincare and the Liz Earle Factory Outlet store, which has Liz Earle products cheaper than retail - just be aware that the packaging may be damaged or printed incorrectly.

I have occasionally
bought high-end cosmetics from eBay and you can find some good deals if
you check carefully. Make sure the seller isn't selling hundreds of the same eyeshadow and check they are using their own photos not stock photos.

I've managed to find US exclusives and limited edition products that have been out of stock everywhere, but you do have to be careful. Go with your gut instinct. These kinds of products are usually available for retail price, so you don't tend to find many bargains, but you may be able to track down difficult to source items. I know some people sometimes also manage to uncover new testers of lipsticks such as Guerlain's Rouge Gs for sale. These are obviously cheaper than the ones you find on counters but they are without the gorgeous heavy packaging, which I know I personally couldn't do without!

I hope this has gone some way to giving you a few pointers for purchasing beauty products on eBay.

Wednesday, 25 April 2012

I've been fascinated for some time by all the praise surrounding Alpha-H and their products, and when I was in need of a new facial exfoliator and noticed their products were on 3 for 2 at Beauty Bay, I thought it was time to take the plunge.

The Alpha-H Gentle Daily Exfoliant is a fairly unique experience as far as facial exfoliators go, smoothing and brightening without the use of harsh scrubbing particles.

The packaging is standard for Alpha-H - clean and minimal, with an almost clinical look to it.

To use, you flip open the top to reveal a large hole from which a small amount of white powder is dispensed. The directions for use indicate that you should use two of the amounts of powder for application. The great thing about this dispensing system is that it dispenses the correct amount of product each time, so it is impossible to pour too much out which is great for minimising wastage!

You pour two applications into very wet hands and it transforms into a smooth paste which is then massaged into your skin for up to a minute.

What struck me with this exfoliator is that it doesn't seem to be gritty at all! It almost feels like some kind of mask, and at first I didn't believe that it was actually doing anything!

Over the past month using this on a daily basis, my skin has become noticeably smoother and I have suffered hardly any breakouts, so I have to conclude it works! The only disadvantage is the high price, which at £32 may make me reconsider repurchasing. If you are someone who invests a lot in your skin care regime though, this would be an excellent choice.

VerdictA surprising twist on traditional exfoliation, this exfoliant leaves skin both smooth and soft, and it is great to find something that isn't harsh and abrasive to the skin, but still packs a hefty punch. If you can overlook the higher price point, this could be a great addition to a skincare regime.4/5 Price- £32Where to buy - Beauty Bay, Salon Skincare Cult Beauty

Tuesday, 24 April 2012

I had an interesting delivery yesterday - a box of goodies from Carmine! As you know, Carmine is now no more and has been merged with Glossybox. I won a 3 month subscription for Carmine just before they announced it was to be closed and, shortly afterwards, they said they would send me a box of goodies to make up for it! I hadn't previously been a subscriber to Carmine, but from reading other blogs, it was certainly the box I preferred, so I was sad to see it go.

So what did I get:

Diego Dalla Palma Mini Lipstick - quite like the look of this and from a quick swatch, it seems quite creamy and moisturising.

I-Pout New CID Lipstick - this looks like a versatile my-lips-but-better shade. Not too sure about the packaging or the gimmicky 'torch' feature though!

Soft Paris Strawberry Balm - two of these arrived! First impressions are that it smells very nice but I haven't tried it yet.

Eyeco Fat Eye Stick in Charcoal - I like this shade but I fear it will crease very easily on my oily lids!

Vera Valenti Pencil Liner in Black - this feels quite scratchy and not all that pigmented. Will give it a go though.

Monday, 23 April 2012

I read The Hunger Games
trilogy a couple of years ago, and was engrossed in them from the outset. In
keeping with the current trend for theming nail polish colours and sets
around films, China Glaze have released a collection loosely based
around the movie.

I picked two polishes from
the range: Riveting a bright shimmering red orange, and Agro, an olive
green / gold hybrid with an almost frosty finish.

Riveting is unusual for a Summer collection release- it is a colour I would more traditionally associate with Halloween!

The polish on the nail
looks almost identical to the colour in the bottle and the shimmer is
very evident. It is almost a golden shimmer, and I found this to make it
unique in my polish collection. Application was three coats although you
could easily manage with two. I did find that the formula was very liquid
and runny though, and rather difficult to control. It was easy to load
the brush with too much product and this made for a tricky application for
someone as clumsy as me! I'm not sure if this is always the case with China Glaze polishes, but it was certainly true of both of these.

Agro is another unique
colour and one I think will be gorgeous come autumn. Again I used three
coats, not so much to achieve opacity but more to even out the polish as
it did have a tendency to show brush strokes.

I was a little disappointed with the swatch colour of Agro as I would
have like more of the golden shimmer / duochrome finish to show through.
It looked a little flat on the nail, especially when compared with all
the promise of the bottle but it is still very pretty.

L to R: Riveting and Agro (with flash)

Verdict

These polishes are both
unique to my collection and whilst they don't scream Spring, I'm
especially looking forward to wearing them both come Autumn. The only
fail for me was the formula as I prefer a slightly thicker product,
finding it much easier to apply. If you are prepared to work with it
though, these colours are lovely, and they provide an interesting change from all the
corals and pastels currently doing the rounds.

Friday, 20 April 2012

You know how I moaned about Mac's lipglasses previously, complaining that they were all sparkle and no pigment? Well I'm willing to take that back now I've tried Viva Glam VI!

Viva Glam VI is one of a series of Viva Glam shades which Mac launches annually, the proceeds of which go towards HIV/AIDS programs worldwide.

The colour in the tube is of a vibrant, pink- red, with the signature lipglass sparkles shimmering throughout. This certainly isn't a gloss for glitterphobes!

When swatched, it maintains it's deep pink-red look, and on the lips it is semi opaque, and much more pigmented than any of the other lipglasses I have tried previously.

In common with prior lipglass experience however, it is very sticky so not the gloss to choose on a windy day! Wear time is impressive for a gloss- at least three hours, mostly due to the stickiness. I did find though that, as the pigment wore off, I was left with a coating of glitter on my lips which was not awfully attractive!

Verdict

A pleasant surprise after my previous lipglass experience, Viva Glam VI offers a combination of decent pigmentation and shimmer with good lasting power. My only negative would be the fact that as it wears off, you are left with glittery lips!

Thursday, 19 April 2012

I've
been thinking recently about things I just can't get to grips with as a
beauty blogger, so here I present five reasons why I am a bad beauty
blogger!

1)
I cannot apply false eyelashes to save my life! I love the look of them
once they are on but I just cannot manage it myself. At a recent friend's wedding I had to have my mum do them for me and it was
particularly scary when she was veering towards my eyes with her Tweezermans, knowing she didn't have her glasses on! I really need to
put some time aside and practice my application.

2)
I don't do fake tan. I've naturally got a skintone that borders on
olive anyway so I've never really seen the need for it. And I feel
like my beauty regime takes long enough without having to fake tan my
legs every time I want to get them out!

3)
I never wear a top coat on my nails. Mostly because I change my nail
colour every couple of days, so it doesn't have the chance to chip or
wear. But also because I am extremely lazy.

4)
I've never been threaded! This is something I will need to rectify soon
as almost everyone I know has now jumped on the threading bandwagon.
I'm not sure what I don't fancy about it- is it the fact that you sit in
the middle of the shop getting it done for all and sundry to watch, or
is it that I'm a bit icked out by the fact the thread goes through their
teeth when they do it? I'm just not sure! Either way, I will be taking
the plunge soon!

5)
I just can't get to grips with cloth cleansers. I've tried Liz Earle
and a couple of others and found that it seemed a bit of a palaver really. I much prefer gentle foaming cleansers or oil cleansers but it
seems I am pretty much alone in the beauty blogging world :-(

Are there any things you don't do or thing you just can't get along with that everyone else seems to rave about?

Wednesday, 18 April 2012

I
never paid much attention to primers until a couple of years ago, when I
discovered they could magically stop my makeup from disappearing, and could
help to keep the oilies at bay!

Today
I am looking at Maybelline's Anti-Age Primer 'The Smoother'. The first
thing I have to say about this product is that it contains silicones,
so if you find they break you out, or if you dislike the obviously
silky, siliconey feel, then this primer will not be for you. I personally
really like these kinds of primers though as I feel they go some way
towards smoothing out all the lumps and bumps on my skin.

The
product comes in a pot which looks to be fairly minute in size, however
you only need a minuscule amount to cover your entire face so I can see
it lasting a while. As a personal preference, I do tend to prefer
products that come in tubes rather than pots but again, that is just
one of my little quirks!

The
primer appears as a translucent, thick gel which is invisible when
applied. It smoothes on easily, (thanks to those silicones!) and feels
very light on the skin. I could hardly tell I was wearing it! It claims
to reduce the appearance of pores and fine lines, and whilst I couldn't
really say it fulfills either of these promises, it did make my skin
feel velvety smooth.

My
foundation applied smoothly too, and I did find it applied a little
easier than if I had not used a primer. In terms of extending my
foundation's wear, it performed adequately lasting around seven hours
before I saw any evidence of wear or movement. Without primer,
foundation usually only lasts a few hours on me so this definitely
extended the wear time.

Verdict

For
a drugstore primer, this is a good product at a great price. Is it any
better than other similar drugstore products such as L'Oreal's Studio Secrets primer? I'm not sure, but it is very affordable and certainly
performs well for it's very reasonable price. If you are happy using silicone
primers, I would suggest giving it a go!

Tuesday, 17 April 2012

I’ve recently become addicted to scouring Etsy for unique items and I have found lots of lovely small businesses and designers.

One I recently discovered is Lucie Ellen, a jewellery designer who creates unique and quirky designs from wood.

There were many items that I was enticed by, but in the end I managed to narrow it down to two designs – and I adore them both!

This sweet bunting necklace (£16) is in of the moment pastel colours and looks really cute for Spring.There are several different varieties of bunting necklace available and she can also make a bespoke necklace in a bunting style with your name on it!

I also purchased this cute book necklace (£9), as I adore books and thought it was very me.I love my Kindle, but there is nothing like a good book and a Kindle necklace wouldn’t really do it for me!

Both necklaces are very good quality and I have already had several compliments on them both.Lucie ships her items very fast – I bought them on Friday afternoon and they were with me by Saturday morning, although if you are after bespoke items, I guess they make take a little longer.They also came packaged lovingly in tissue paper and you can see that a lot of care has gone into hand-making them.

Monday, 16 April 2012

When
they were initially launched, I purchased three of Chanel’s Illusion
d’Ombres in quick succession (review here). I was also very tempted by
the black shimmer shade, Mirifique, but due to funds, I decided to hold
off for a while.

Recently I caved in and bought it and here it is!

The
packaging for the Illusion d’Ombres is standard Chanel – luxurious,
heavy glass pots which look very ascetically pleasing. The eyeshadow
comes with a small brush for application, but I tend to use my fingers to apply and only use the brush for lining.

As
you can see from the swatch, the shadow initially looks very pigmented,
however it can easily be sheered out to provide a less bold look. The
shimmer is what I would term a ‘grown-up shimmer’, not so sparkly that
it leaves you looking like you have dived into a bucket of glitter, but
subtle enough to provide extra interest and dimension to your look.

I’ve
covered the consistency of the product in my previous review – its very
soft and is essentially a cream shadow, which blends quickly and easily
to help you achieve your desired look. You do have to work quite fast when blending as it sets very quickly and once set, it is
budge-proof for the remainder of the day!

I
find lasting time with the Illusion d’Ombres is generally very good.
When used with primer, Mirifique easily lasts through an eight-hour day,
although without primer, I only get around half this time, but I have
exceptionally oily lids. When used as a liner, the shadows last all day
without migrating or fading. My favourite way to wear Mirifique is
probably as a liner, smudged along my bottom lash line, although I have
been experimenting recently with pairing it with dark grey shadows and
using it to smoke out at the outer corner.

Verdict

Like
the other shades amongst the Illusions d’Ombres, this doesn’t really have
any particular faults. It is pigmented and easy to apply, staying put
throughout a whole day without migrating, fading or creasing. The only
downsides to Mirifique would be the price, which is pretty high,
although in line with other products from Chanel’s range, and the fact
that you need to ensure you screw the lid on VERY tightly to ensure the
shadow does not dry up. This is common with all cream shadows but it
especially seems to be the case with Chanel’s Illusion d’Ombres. All in
all, a recommended buy if you enjoy perfecting a smoky eye look or if
you fancy adding a sophisticated edge to your everyday liner.

Sunday, 15 April 2012

Its been a while since I've explored some of my samples stash, so I thought it was about time I had a quick delve into it.

Jane Iredale Lip and Cheek Stain in Forever Pink

This came with a recent Jolie Box and having never heard of Jane Iredale before, I was excited to try it out. Jane Iredale products are all mineral products and aside form the odd Bare Minerals flirtation, I haven't tried many mineral cosmetics products previously.

I tried this on both the lips and cheeks and far preferred it on my lips. On my cheeks, it looked a little greasy and disappeared within a few hours. It was also very lightly pigmented and I prefer my cream blushes to be more pigmented. On the lips, it gave a slight sheen, and lasted around an hour and a half before I needed to reapply. It felt more like a balm though and was perhaps too subtle for my pigmented lips. For those who like natural makeup, with a barely-there lip, this may be a good buy, but I have lots of lippies already like this and I didn't feel it added anything to my collection.

Vaseline Essential Moisture Clean Feeling Lotion

I usually prefer body butters to body lotions as they tend to feel richer and more luxurious. This body lotion from Vaseline was pretty much as expected - fairly lightweight and non-greasy, although it did take some time to sink in. I tend to moisturise my body in the evening though so it didn't affect my morning routine.

Scent wise, it was fairly innocuous and from the swatch above, you can see it was slightly runny and a little difficult to control consistency-wise. All in all, a decent budget body lotion but nothing earth-shattering, and I think I prefer Nivea's version.

Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate

I kind of blow hot and cold
with Liz Earle - some of her products I love but some I feel rather
lukewarm about as they aren't the miracle products I was expecting. The
Superskin Concentrate was on of these products but in fairness, I'm not
sure if I am the target audience for this with my oily skin.

Ths Superskin Concentrate is an oil that you warm in your hands and apply after cleansing in the evening. The scent is a delightful mixture of lavender and chamomile which aids relaxation before bed, and the oil absorbs quickly without leaving an oily or greasy feeling. My skin did feel a little softer but that was about it. I didn't feel more radiant or feel that my skin was in a particularly better condition than previously.

As this was only a 2ml sample, I am curious to see if I would experience any significant benefits in the long term with regular use. Skincare is such an individual thing and I usually prefer to test something for at least a month before judging its performance.

Friday, 13 April 2012

Revlon’s Lip Butters – I know you’ve probably read a million and one posts about these already so I’ll try to keep this brief.

L to R with flash: Creme Brulee, Tutti Frutti, Lollipop

Attracted
by Boots’ current 3 for 2 offer on cosmetics, I decided to pick a few
of the Lip Butters. Stock however were not great, and there wasn’t
much choice to be had, with many of the popular colours sold out. In the
end, I decided to go for two brights and a nude.

L to R without flash: Creme Brulee, Tutti Frutti, Lollipop

Starting
with the nude, Crème Brulee. This is an almost invisible shade on my
pigmented lips which gives them a very slight shimmer. I am not normally
a big fan of nude lippies, however I found this one very easy to wear
and I didn’t feel it washed me out, rather it gave me a natural,
polished look. All the Lip Butters give a noticeable sheen to the lips,
however I found this to be the most subtle with regards to the shiny
lips look and it was certainly more of a balm. If you are fond of a
my-lips-but-better look or if you prefer a really simple, neutral look,
this would be a good choice for you. Wear time was around an hour and a
half, which, considering this is a balm / lipstick hybrid is to be
expected.

Next
is Tutti Fruitti, a vibrant coal / orange which is a fabulous shade for
summer. I adore coral shades and although this leans more orange, it is
certainly very wearable, especially with a summer tan. I think I will be
getting a lot of use out of this one! Lasting time with this one was
around two and a half hours, with the shine disappearing first after an
hour, leaving a stain which was still very pigmented.

Finally,
I purchased Lollipop, a blue tinged fuchsia with subtle sparkly
shimmer. The shimmer isn’t overly noticeable, but it gives a gorgeous
iridescent look on the lips. I believe this is certainly one of the
bolder shades in the range as it is very pigmented. It had a wear time
similar to Tutti Fruitti of two and a half hours before I needed to
reapply.

Verdict

Predictably,
I am going to give these top marks as although I initially was skeptical about their ability to deliver after all the hype surrounding them, I was wrong. All three deliver excellent
pigmentation, are super comfortable to wear and although lasting time
isn’t overly long, it is as expected for a balm / lipstick hybrid. I
would stress, however, that despite being non-drying, these lippies are
not a substitute for balm, and you will still need to apply this
separately if you want smooth, soft, kissable lips! As for my favourite,
I would have to say it is Tutti Fruitti, a gorgeous wearable orange
which looks super juicy on the lips. I’m certainly going to be looking
at more of the range when my local Boots restocks!